Rushing Fall out-duels Mean Mary in Diana for 6th Grade 1 win

Rushing Fall earned one of the most thrilling victories in her decorated career Sunday, edging Mean Mary in a stretch duel to win Saratoga’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana.

The 5-year-old More Than Ready mare Rushing Fall is now a six-time Grade 1 winner. She notched a fifth consecutive triumph for trainer Chad Brown in the Diana, a 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for older fillies and mares.

"This is a very important race that we point for every year and we've been fortunate through the years to have horses that really fit," Brown said. "She's a great horse and she ran a super race today."

The Diana drew a short but accomplished field of six, reduced to five when longshot Secret Message scratched after rearing in the gate. Rushing Fall went off the 7-5 favorite, with Mean Mary (2-1) and Sistercharlie (3-1) also receiving plenty of support.

Mean Mary entered the day with four straight wins for trainer Graham Motion and went to the front. Piloted by jockey Luis Saez, she set fractions of :23.80, :48.30 and 1:11.90 while Rushing Fall ran a stalking second.

Rushing Fall pulled up alongside Mean Mary coming through the far turn, and the two dueled the length of the stretch. Under jockey Javier Castellano, Rushing Fall prevailed by a head.

The e Five Racing Thoroughbreds runner Rushing Fall covered the nine furlongs in 1:45.88 and returned $4.80 to win. 2 3/4 lengths behind the top two was 2018 and ’19 Diana heroine Sistercharlie in third ahead of Starship Jubilee and Call Me Love.

“My heart’s still beating in my chest,” owner Bob Edwards of e Five Racing said. “She’s a special mare. She’s been a huge part of our operation. …

“(Castellano) stuck to the plan, not letting Mean Mary get too far out ahead of her because Luis is phenomenal when he’s on the lead, tough to catch. Javier did a really good job and Rushing Fall is so tenacious.”

Rushing Fall now sports a remarkable 14: 11-2-0 record with more than $2.2 million earned. Earlier this summer, she accomplished the rare feat of winning Grade 1 races at 2, 3, 4 and 5 when taking Keeneland’s Jenny Wiley Stakes.

Mean Mary took her first loss of the season Sunday. She entered off a dominant win June 27 at Belmont Park in the Just a Game Stakes (G1).

"I got nice fractions early and then at the half-mile we started to get going," Saez said. "Everyone came to me and she fought them. She got beat running."

For Sistercharlie, the Diana marked her third straight third-place finish dating to last November's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The Eclipse Award 2018 Champion Older Mare started her 6-year-old campaign July 25 in Saratoga's Ballston Spa (G2).

"I thought she ran much better today than she did in the Ballston Spa and we can potentially run her one more prep before the Breeders' Cup," Brown said. "I can see her rounding into form right at the right time.

"I was disappointed that she wasn't right there at the wire but not discouraged that can't get on track for the Breeders' Cup. It's a good step forward."